Weight Gain in Pregnancy

I started my pregnancy between 153-155 pounds and by the end of the first trimester I had gained 12-15 pounds! Trust me, none of it really looked like a baby bump. It just looked like I had one too many cheese fries and a beer gut…plus, it was flabby.Come to find out this was very normal. In your first trimester your body is working to pack on the weight in fat stores. This comes in handy in the last trimester when that baby is acting like a parasite and taking all kind of things from you. Recognize this first trimester as storage for your baby’s needs later on and don’t let it get you down. Weight gain is inevitable, and for me, it was something I was very aware of keeping under control. However, as I came to find out, it was more to do with my genetic make-up and less to do with my eating habits.

I didn’t gain much weight in the second trimester…until the end. At that point I had probably gained closer to 25 pounds (in total), putting me at about 180. While I may not have packed on the pounds for a few weeks in there, my belly was now “popping” and beginning to look more like a pregnant womans does. As a side note: I was always hungry during the first trimester and this trimester I didn’t seem to eat as much, however, my cravings were really kicking in. SOMEBODY GET ME SOME MILK!

By the end of the third trimester I had gained between 33-35 pounds in total and fortunately, it was all belly. I was now about 190 pounds and filled with stretch marks (which yes, I did cry over). I talk about the power of your warrior wounds here and ways to lighten them here.

Now, while I struggled with the stretch marks, I was fortunate to not gain a lot of weight even though I was definitely eating for two. My sister, however – exercised, counted calories, ate healthy, and knew exactly what to expect her second time around. None of it helped her to keep her weight gain in a “suggested range,” she gained nearly 70 pounds (just like pregnancy #1). The difference in her habits was night and day. The first pregnancy she gave into her cravings for sugary donuts and creamy saucy pastas, she lived a more sedentary lifestyle, and she was feeling slightly depressed. The second pregnancy was filled with veggies and physical activity – yet both times the weight gain was the same.

My sister took her second pregnancy as an opportunity to do it all right and it didn’t really pay off. My eating habits weren’t monitored and I didn’t work out – yet my body handled pregnancy weight gain well. It’s comparisons like these that make me believe whatever your body is going to do, it’s going to do. I absolutely suggest keeping an eye on your weight and nutrition for the likes of your baby, however, if you gain more than the doctor says you should, remind yourself that it is okay. You are a vessel, an incubator, a warrior for another little human being. Without you, he/she wouldn’t exist. You’ll be able to lose your “extra weight” later, I know you can and I know you will. Why? Because you were the one and only person keeping your baby safe, you dealt with tons of aches and pains, and you birthed life into this world. YOU. ARE. AMAZING.

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HI! I’M ABI

I'm a single mom who works a full-time job and raises my toddler, all from home - 24/7. I love the idea of teaching my toddler through fun activities and projects so there's a lot of that here.. Check out the about me page for more background information and sign up for our monthly newsletter to inspire creative learning in your home!